Welcome to Gaia! ::

In most areas of life, Tara could be almost unnervingly patient. She could string people along for days or even weeks because her her strength of will. However, when she was completely ignored? Well, that was never a good situation for anyone. Her call for help had been simple enough - even an idiot would be able to figure out, without her explaining everything, that Leo needed to be taken down to the Infirmary from the makeshift concrete stretcher she'd carried him back on, and she needed to sit for awhile to build up her strength once more. But, apparently, this was not enough. Those in the area, some of which were understandably helping other people, went about their business, while those that continued to come back through the portal took no apparent notice of her and the injured man laying on the ground below her on the stairs. And as each passing person spared her no more than a passing glance, the brunette started to get more and more irritated with their unexplained blindness to her and her cargo, which was in obvious need of medical attention.

"Fine, I'll ******** do it myself," she grunted, wincing slightly as she stood once more, making her way over to Leo. There was no way she would be able to have enough control over her powers in this state to get him down there without aggravating his injuries, hurting herself, or inadvertently hurting someone else on their way down to the lower levels. So, it was time to rely on good ol' grunt strength and determination to show those around her that she didn't need them if they weren't going to help out a fallen comrade.

Making her way over to Leo, she stood over him for a minute before clearing her throat and stooping down to pull one arm over her shoulder, the other shoving it's way under his armpit as gently as she could to lift him to the best of her ability. He was pretty sweaty, so it was definitely not where she wanted to put her hand, but dammit, she was going to get this done, one way or the other.

"Alright, DeVito, we are so more than even this time," she grunted, a sideways smile greeting him as she started to make their way, quite slowly, towards the lower levels. He wasn't all that bigger than her - 3 inches and maybe 30 pounds - but it was enough where she was definitely feeling the strain. By the time they made it to the elevator, the brunette casting near-death glares at all she passed, she was shaking softly, grunting under his weight as she shifted his weight so as to not drop him when she pressed the button for the lower levels.

"You might want to consider losing some weight, tubby," she joked towards him, mentally repeating the phrase "you're almost there" over and over in her head to keep her muscles moving. The elevator door opened, and they just had to go a little further before they were in the Infirmary, which was pretty packed with people both checking in and dropping off others more injured than themselves. As soon as she got through the door, sidestepping some people leaving in response to Frost's order that they congregate in the War Room for what she could only assume was a de-briefing, his weight was taken from her by one of the staff, rushing him off to get the treatment he needed along with the rest of the wounded.

"I'll check in on you later," she called after him, Eli sprinting past her, causing her to step back slightly. Turning, her exposed skin glistened with beads of sweat, her eyelids slightly drooping as she fought a wave of exhaustion off. Hopefully this meeting would be fast so she could get a shower and some rest. If she had to sit in a room for an extended period of time with the same people that completely ignored her, she couldn't be held responsible for what she might do.

Once she got to the War Room, she made her way directly to the back, not looking at anyone. She had spared no one she passed a kind glance, even if she might have been relieved to know they were safe. In fact, her steps never changed pace as she made her way directly into the War Room, stopping for no one or nothing. Plopping into a seat, she rested her head back, eyes closing as she took a few deep breaths. This really couldn't get over with quickly enough.

(( OOC: This post is not a complaint against anyone in particular! Please don't think I am mad in any way…it just seemed fitting for her personality to react this strongly x3 ))

Omega - Infirmary - R &R... and apparently another R too.


Christian lay on the not so comfortable hospital bed, his eyes still shut. He did feel a little ashamed by being in this predicament. Even on the precipice between the walking and sleeping worlds, all he could think about was that damnable course of events. Replaying that scene over and over again in his mind, he knew he was lucky to be alive. When he had the chance, he would definitely have to thank Rogue personally for pulling his fat out of the fryer.

Throughout his tenure on the Omegas, he had certainly taken his share of lumps. From what ordeals he faced while in Limbo with those evil spirits that ambushed him, to having his hand bitten clean through, all the way to this, he was beginning to not be a stranger to pain or injury. Even if he was having his doubts about if living this life wrought with danger, he knew he would use this experience as a learning tool. He would have to. But even still, part of him wanted to call home and tell them he was done with the East Coast. Hell, the only one that really knew exactly what Christian had gone through while he was away from home was his sister. And he made sure to make her swear on her life to never tell another soul. But this, this turn of events would stay with him… and his friends here at the Institute.

He gingerly moved his arm around, from the rail to the bed itself, doing what he could to not jostle the lines that were set in his arm. His eyes still closed, just as a way to try and manage the pain, but he was most assuredly awake. His stiffened wounds wouldn’t allow him the luxury of slumber at all. The fact that he was practically immobilized in his bed and couldn’t get comfortable was another factor in his inability to sleep. He sighed softly to himself, sensing it was going to be a long night, when he heard his name being called out rather loudly. Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked towards the window to see… Raine? He wasn’t quite sure at first, but seeing her enter the room confirmed it.

Just seeing the lightning bug enter made him feel more at ease, more comfortable than he was even a minute ago. Slowly, cautiously, he lifted his head from where it rested and looked towards Raine, his green eyes meeting her hazels for a brief moment. And even though the room was lit very dimly after the last nurse had left, he could see the formation of tears in the corners of her eyes as she knelt nearby his bed. “Hey…,” Christian said, his voice still hardly above a croak and a whisper, “No cryin’, Sparkles. I ain’t dead yet.”

Even through his pained eyes, he could see her hesitance on her even being in the room. Yes, he was moments removed from being whisked away from the mall, but he meant what he said; he wasn’t dead yet. But, even speaking what words he did just a moment ago winded him slightly. After a few deep breaths, he was able to respond to her inquiry when she asked who was responsible for this. “Sabretooth,” was all he could muster, even with what oxygen he had taken in, his voice was still barely above a whisper. After he spoke again, he watched her stand, apparently getting ready to leave. Raine did assure him that she would return after the meeting. Meeting? Christian must have definitely missed something, not that he would have been able to join them all anyways. Before she made her way from the room, he noticed her resting her hand upon the bed’s rail… still sniffling slightly.

He didn’t know why, maybe as a way to reassure her, but he rested his uninjured hand on top of hers for a brief moment. And it took nearly the rest of his remaining energy to manage a very gentle squeeze before she walked away. Hopefully, that would but her worries at rest and reassure her just a little bit more. Before Raine exited, Christian didn’t miss her attempt at a smile, something he did his best to return. In no time, he watched the door to his room close again and he lay his head back down. He was alone again, alone to stew in his thoughts… and he swore at himself silently. He hated seeing a friend torn up over something like this, even though she was well within her rights. It didn’t mean he had to like it.

Laying in the dim quietness of his room, the only sounds that permeated his auditory canals was the constant beeping of the EKG machine monitoring his heart rate. It was one of the final things the nurse hooked him up to before she left. And he just thought about it all over again. Everything; The feeling of claws embedded in his chest, the feeling of his ribs and clavicle get shorn in two and the sensation of having his left arm completely shattered. Clenching his jaw in disgust of remembering all of that, he let his thoughts wander to the others who were injured. Leo looked worse for wear before Christian himself was attacked; he knew Isabella was shot, but it didn’t seem to be exactly life threatening… He didn’t know if anyone else was injured but he had a feeling they were sure run down. They’d been at the mall far longer than he and the other… Omegas… Again, Christian’s thoughts wandered to his teammates and he wished he had the strength to go mobile. For whatever issues he was trying to wrestle and cope with, he couldn’t help but shake the feeling that he needed to see if Daylia made it back in one piece. Not that he didn’t have faith the lass wasn’t safe, but he’d have been a fool to say he wasn’t a bit concerned. That concern however slowly began to ebb as he fell into a very light sleep, his wounds still not allowing him to fully relax.

Eli's cheeks rose as a small smile came to the corner of his lips at Alex's concern. He wasn't used to it, but it made him feel better inside. "I'm fine tank you, just a little radiated." He said, not thinking of any concern it would cause as he was okay with it considering his body was immune to radiation.

"I'm hoping Marcel is alright, last I saw he was good, we backed to the portal and that's the last I saw of him. How about you? Are you alright from the shpewel?" Eli asked, splitting his focus to hear if Ms. Frost started her whatever she needed to go on about?

Gideon was truly annoyed with the whole situation. First the riot at the mall which resulted in Bella getting shot, and others getting injured. Then there was this Hydra Agent who wasn't clear or not with what her intentions were. If this had happened back when Gideon first came to the Academy, the female shifter would of been gutted the moment he took notice of her. It wouldn't of mattered her reasons for being there. Gideon wouldn’t of gave a damn if it was for help or not. But in his years at the Academy and with Bella have taught him not to resort to it right away. Which to Madame Hydra's little duckling shifter would probably be a weakness. Not leaving a wake of bodies behind him was something that helped keep him away from Hydra till he was ratted on to Hydra with being at Xavier's.

In the aftermath of the Hydra visit years ago on the academy grounds Bella ended up shot much like she was today. That led Gideon to leaving the Academy for a short time. Returning after the teams got back from a trip to Muir Island. It was just too difficult to stay away from Bella any longer. Another weakness in the eyes of Hydra when they trained him. It wasn't something he had planned on ever happening. Nevermind the fact that he thought he was not capable of the emotion or even worth being loved by another. But something about Bella ended up changing that slowly. Gideon hadn't planned on being there more then a year. Well more like didn't expect to be allowed to stay that long. And here it was many years later and he was still at the academy.

Kat's actions in breathing in his scent wasn't lost on him. He was simply an expert in reading people and her actions didn't show hostility. Plus if she tried to stab him he would have healed it with no problem. If she attempted to poison him the chances of her having one that worked fast enough to deal with him was unlikely, plus he would have felt any pin pricks… Nor would she of been able poison him by kissing him, since he would have seen that coming. Call him paranoid…But she wouldn’t have been the first opponent to poison her lipstick.

It seemed that the shape shifter really wanted to test Gideon's patience. If he didn't want information from her and anywhere but the mall was a better place to work on extracting that information, she would be dead. The female Hydra agent didn't fall under the do not kill order that was given for the mall riot. Gideon's muscles all over his body tightened slightly as the animal beneath the surface wanted nothing more then to rip her head off. She was pushing the wrong buttons in mentioning Bella, especially adding in that his girlfriend was delicious. The animal inside didn't care if it was a side effect of her recent transformation or not. If she transformed into Bella at the moment he wouldn't be able to hold back that would be the end of things here and now.


If Kat had any training to read body language she would know he was close to just giving in and ending her life. Gideon also didn't feel like answering her questions. That can maybe happen later if he so felt like it as he got what information he cared about from her one way or another. Part of him wanted to get the information easily while the other wanted her to make thing have to be done the hard way.

He wasn't surprised that when he threw her she managed to not fall. She was trained by similar people to him probably. Though her training wasn't likely to be near as harsh as his was. But then again those training him had seemed to take advantage that he would heal and get up eventually after his powers awakened. He was curious if she was an experimental clone like him or was she a child taken at a young age to be trained. With Hydra either was a possibility which was quite sad.

"If that is what you would prefer. We can do it that way." Gideon said in reference to her comment about hitting her over the head. That option did certainly sound appealing but a head injury could make information extraction slightly more difficult.

"Well for one if it's a Hydra bike it's crap. And if it's one you stole then you can just get a better one later." He said matter of factly to her. Plus if it was a Hydra bike it would likely have a tracker… And he would prefer to leave that behind.

"Well as a Hydra Agent coming and finding me....is a mistake.....I refuse to go back. And I will kill anyone who attempts to do so." Gideon said with a growl. His disdain for Hydra was great. And this girl had to tempt him by asking him to gut her. "It's natural away from the toxin that is Hydra one would change. If I didn't then I would simply be a creation a weapon not an individual. But if you want that version of me..... " He said to the Hydra Agent as the claws in his right hand extended slowly. If she really wanted to die he wouldn’t mind taking care of it. It was becoming clear she was not there to take him back. So why was she here then? To the underlings in Hydra he was considered death because if they saw him then their life had already ended and the image they say was only in the dying flickers of activity left in the brain as the nerves died.

"Freedom....... there is freedom. Choice is freedom. Thinking for ones self is freedom...... Staying as the mindless weapon of death Hydra wanted me to be...That's not freedom." He said looking at the Hydra agent… His body wasn't as tense at fighting the urge to kill her. But that didn't mean that he wasn't ready to dispatch her if things came to that. " Just because I am staying with them and stayed back to guard the portal does not mean I am not free. I stay by choice not by force."

Then she shook her head and started to walk past him. This time she didn't just walk past him. No she did feint to get by, but Gideon didn't make a move to grab her. Really that's how she was going to be. Because he wasn't the mindless killer that normally would of gutted her the second she appeared next to him in the fight. Hell as X-20 he wouldn't of even been anywhere near the mall. Chances are he wouldn't of given into more of his feral side and stayed off the grid. It would of been easy to stay in the wilderness and never been found again.

He saw her form change to that of the falcon. He was fast but he wouldn't catch her by hand. He growled grabbing two fist size chunks of ruble from the ground. He threw one to where he expected the now bird to fly. But anticipating that one being dodged the threw the other one aiming for where he expected her to dodge to thanks to her animal instincts overriding some of her human mentality.

Nope… This girl didn't just get to walk away after disrupting his day more then the riot did.

Omega: Courthouse -- Regrouping with the Boss Lady

Kerrigan's report to Cissa was brief, the moment of silence on the other end seeming to last a lifetime as she saw those on her team escorting any remaining civilians towards the exit. It always baffled her how people would linger to see the bloodshed, though some of them were probably just too scared or confused about what was going on to move in the first place. Finally, the blonde's voice came back over the comm, calling for a regroup and giving instructions on how to get to their target. The redhead smiled, giving a nod even though she knew that the leader wouldn't be able to see it.

"Copy that," she said simply, closing whatever distance was between her and her team as she gathered them into a semblance of a group. Her green eyes looked between them, her expression steeled as it should be in the midst of a battle. Even if the situation was under control for now, things were known to change at the drop of a hat when the Omegas were around. They all had to be on their guard, until the moment they got back to the mansion, though some of them had an easier time of relaxing than others. Kerrigan seemed to almost always be on guard - it was a blessing and a curse, but it made moments like this all the more bearable.

"We're to regroup with Solaris and the rest of the Omegas. They're west of us, but we have to use the alleys and debris to get there - she said that passing in front of the courthouse is too dangerous. So, we're moving out - watch each others' backs and keep moving.." Of course, she knew that the latter part of her instructions didn't really need to be said - they were a team and as such they were always making sure that their own were safe. But, it was a force of habit,and with some of the newer members in her charge, it was best to leave no room for confusion. And no one could say that she wasn't clear about their next objective.

The redhead turned once she was sure that the team was all on the same page, leading the way in the direction of their fellow Omegas. Their pace was quick, but not necessarily rushed, Kerrigan's every step careful so she could be ready to spring into action should any surprises come their way. It was actually quite remarkable that nothing really happened on their trek back behind the courthouse, climbing over chunks of rubble from partially collapsed or burning buildings. Her metal suit glistened with the falling rain, which certainly didn't aid their venture. Still, all things considered, it went smoothly - hopefully that was a trend that would continue.

As they approached the other set of Omegas, Kerrigan's eyes immediately darted to the shackled forms of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch on the ground, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"Well, hello bargaining chips," she whispered to herself, approaching Cissa as Magneto floated over to the group, obviously quite unhappy that they had his children in such a prone position. Her gaze travelled behind him to the sight of the senator and his cabinet, in obvious terror at what was going on. Her heart sunk a little, not really out of pity for them, but how this would color their view - they would only remember that a mutant did this to them, not that it was a mutant with some sort of God complex. The Master of Magnetism conceded that they were going to have to bargain, the redhead feeling a twitch at the corners of her mouth. It was somewhat satisfying to see his irritation at his predicament, Kerrigan turning to Scott and Cissa to see their response. It was time to end this, one way or another.

ALPHAS: Always Late

Gateway blinked around the mall, collecting the children who called themselves warriors, but really were far too young to be fighting in a war- and sending them home, many of them bearing injuries. Then he saw the dragon, and he could only stare. He thought his power to be unique, but here was a woman-child who was dangerously unaware of her power- she wasn't tapping into it as she should. He frowned as the dragon landed gently on the ground, letting several small children off her back before teleporting back into her human body. Still not speaking, he opened a portal for the children to go through, stopping the woman-child/dragon hybrid with a gesture.

Hoshi stared at the strange little man with a tilted head, envious of the ease in which he used his power. She assumed this was Gateway; the man Rogue had said would get her out of the mall safely. Hoshi felt as if her powers went wonky every year, and she began to get the sense she hadn't even begun to tap into them, and here was a weird little man who didn't even think about the way he used his powers. The man stared at her for the longest time, so long Hoshi began to get creeped out. Finally the man raised his weird flute thingy and gestured to a glowing blue portal. She stepped through and found herself on the steps of the school, not really noticing the strange little man that followed her.

Gateway stared at the home of the X-men and mentally spoke to Emma/There is something strange about your Dragon girl- you may want to investigate it. / was all he said before vanishing.

Hoshi wove her way through the crowd of students who were whispering fearfully- apparently, a good many of them had seen Gambit bringing in the pale and bleeding Siren. Hoshi was glad that Bella had made it back to the school safely, dropping her head in shame that she had not acted sooner. Not that acting sooner would have prevented Porno Smurf from shooting, but Hoshi was ashamed of herself none the less.

As she entered the locker rooms, Hoshi could hear the muffled shouts from the nearby infirmary, and wondered who else besides Bella and the Omega she'd seen from the air was injured. She'd just grabbed some soap when she heard Miss Frost’s announcement. She sighed. *at least I no longer blatantly smell like urine.* she thought, scrambling out of the shower and into her uniform- it was the only thing clean she had down stairs. Hoshi shoved one boot on, and then hopped down the hallway on one foot, trying to get her other foot in its boot as she made her way to the War Room. Rounding a corner she spotted Raine and Bianca, and seconds later she slammed into a solid wall of flesh. "Owwwwww." She groaned from the floor. "What are you doing down here kid? We weren’t expecting you back for two more days." Wolverine questioned her as he helped Hoshi to her feet. "Mama sent me back early so I had time to get enough sleep before school started up again." she said. "And I was at the mall, so I'm just following orders." she added. Wolverine nodded, scowling as he fiddled with the remains of a cigar. "Well, get going." He said, and headed in the opposite direction. Hoshi slipped quietly into the War Room and began braiding her wet hair back as she waited for Miss Frost to start the meeting.

Katarina was utterly disappointed. In a way that took the ground from beneath her feet… She had foolishly hoped that X-20 would have some kind of solution…Some kind of way to remain free. He’d managed it so long on his own… Was it by chance? Or was HYDRA just that terrified of the monster they’d created? Her intention had never been to actually test this man’s patience… But to see if he was still everything her former employ feared…

But he was different. Far different than the last profile entry she’d read from the agent assigned to keep tabs on him. A kind little watchdog was of no use to her… She needed to know the monster, the feral beast that they feared. Needed to learn everything there was about scaring the Contessa away. Gingerly the fingers of her good hand touched the back of her neck. There was a crescent moon shaped scar that hadn’t yet faded away from when she’d dug the tracker out from underneath her skin.

She knew it was wrong to mention his woman, or whatever she was from the way he tensed. At least some of him was still on high alert. He seemed as if he might be ready by now to take a swing, or a stab at her… But it was too late. She’d had to provoke him completely, just to get this far.

“How did you know I like it rough?”, she passed back to X-20 when he mentioned that if she preferred he carry her over his shoulder like a barbarian—He would be happy to oblige. Though her eyes flashed faintly, the gun-metal blue color unsettling as it seemed to stir and shift. A trick of the light, of course. “I’m not stupid enough to take any piece of HYDRA tech with me.”

“And I don’t –steal- anything.”, Katarina ground out, her teeth clenching for a moment. Stealing was beneath her…Though she could hotwire most standard vehicles in four minutes or less. Why bother potentially causing a scene when she could usually just buy what she wanted under a false alias or with cash. She preferred cash, to be honest. No paper trail. Correction, less of a paper trail.

She paused when he started to growl at her, mentioning that her coming to him as an Agent was a mistake…Was he so slow that he hadn’t figured it out yet? As if she hadn’t made it obvious during the fight that she was hiding from someone… Had he not noticed the way her eyes kept flickering towards the entrances and exits? Though that, she could assume, he thought was her looking for an escape route… When really, she was just making sure there weren’t any suits coming towards them.

“I want the version of you that sent HYDRA running with their tails between their legs a few years ago. Thinking isn’t Freedom…Neither is choice. Choosing is what got me here...Is what's likely to get me killed faster.”, Katarina spoke lightly, her face seeming to wipe clear of the catty city slicker emotions she’d worn before… As if she were truly taking in what he had to say. Did he truly stay with the X-Men because he wanted to? Not because they provided him safety, and security from the Contessa?

Her eyes were everywhere…Her spies, everywhere.

“I can’t accept that the X-Men treat you like a human being…They have their own army. I’ve seen it, just now…Is there a possibility that you aren’t a weapon to them? I’ve heard that they have all manner of mind witches that can make you say whatever they want you to say… I can’t take that chance…The chance that you’re just a puppet on strings.”

She took to the air, flapping powerful wings—Nimbly avoiding the hanging lights and falling pieces of ceiling. And then eventually rocks…He was throwing things at her? She avoided the first set… But the second volley connected. She plummeted from the air in a spiral, and her small falcon body hit a table that hadn’t been overturned. She bounced off, and as she rolled, she shifted out of the bird form, back to human… Just in time for the back of her head to slam in to the marble floor.

There was a small device on her wrist… It suddenly started beeping quietly…Nothing loud, just inside the human register. Not a bomb, no…A tracker. “They’re coming…”, she whispered dazed, her eyes fluttering closed as blood leaked from a gash in her scalp. Darkness was coming…Faster and faster. Her arm had completely dislocated itself in the fall among the rubble and debris… But even still, despite what looked to be a nasty head wound from the blood loss… She tried to get up.

She swallowed thickly, her throat tightening…

“…They’re here…”